The Year of the Dragon
by eternalangelkiss
Summary: It is 1910 and war is brewing in China's magical world.  Three brothers must face their destinies, three schools compete for dominance and the Imperium of Magic is on the brink of chaos.  The feared Red Dragon has risen again.


CHAPTER 1: The Sorting

**A/N: **This story was written for a challenge on another site. In the challenge each participant was given a specific province in the world that the participant had to write about. The province I got was the Heilongjiang province, which is the northern most province in China. Heilongjiang means "Black Dragon River". I also want to make note that last names are spoken first in Chinese. For instance, the Li in Li Zongxían is the last name and Zongxían the first.

I tried to be as accurate as I could on Chinese life and culture. If there are any glaring errors or places where I can improve the story, please let me know. Thank you.

Li Zongxían dreamt of the master and the garden again. He had been having the same dream for a week. This was hardly surprising since his thirteenth birthday and his Sorting was to take place the very next day. All eyes would be on him. Soon everyone would know what type of wizard and man he would become and that singular thought sent waves of apprehension throughout his body.

His dream began as it always did in his father's garden. The trees were in full bloom and overlade with rich, plump fruit. Verdant, soft grass covered the garden floor where pockets of flowers peeked out of the green foliage. Li Zongxían followed a white cobblestone path through the quiet sanctuary, his steps growing more and more hesitant. Despite the tranquility of the place, he was as tense as a cat who scents a dog. Still, he continued forward, his wand in his hand at his side.

Fear was the great enemy to all. As Li Zongxían followed the white path through the emerald beauty around him, he could feel that fear growing inside him. He had known for a long time that the great Sorting day would come. Most kids were excited about it, but he was nervous. It was tradition that every boy and girl of the age of thirteen who had the gift be tested by a master to determine which great school they would go to. There were three: White Crane, Lotus Blossom and Black Dragon and each specialized in different areas.

By the age of thirteen, most kids had an idea of which school they wanted to be in, but Li Zongxían was not like most kids. His family was a wealthy, old wizarding family and generations had gone to White Crane, the school of the intellectuals. His two older brothers had been tested by a master and both had been sorted into White Crane. White Crane trained the advisors to leaders, great inventors and had produced some of the wisest witches and wizards in all of China.

Now, as he meandered down the path in his father's garden, all he could think about was the master and his Sorting. He wanted to be in White Crane to please his father and tradition, but the closer he got to his destination, the more he grew certain that he was not fit for the school. He was not unintelligent, but he did not have the drive and passion to gain knowledge as his two elder brothers did. Though he was a voracious reader, he never read books that his middle brother, Li Huang, said were of any value. They did not expound upon the great wizarding laws enacted over the centuries nor go into great detail of the glorious reigns of the wizarding emperors. They were not informative of the sciences.

The books Li Zongxían found entertaining to read were tales of valor of the great heroes of the past. Those men and their noble way of life enthralled him. When he read his books, he could imagine the last stand of the wizarding warrior, Cheng Déshèng or watch the elegant battle strategy of Liu Dao-Ming unfold before him. But his father and grandfather disapproved of such books. They were of the opinion that these books that he treasured so much were mere legends and tales of great exaggerations with no practical value. Li Zongxían had read other works and knew his history and sciences as well as most boys, but he didn't have an active interest in it as was required for those who entered White Crane.

In truth, Li Zongxían had no real idea which school was apt for him and this made him nervous. In the dream, this unease was magnified to the point of being unbearable. Normally, the elegant sweep of the tree branches rich with greenery and the bright faces of the flowers along the path would set his mind at ease. The smell of honeysuckle would inundate his nose and warm his heart. All of his worries would wash away. But in the dream, there was always a disquiet in his soul.

Maybe he would not be fit for any of the schools and the master would say that he would have to come back next year to test him. Maybe his gift was not as developed as it should be. His father would never look at him the same and his brother, especially his middle brother, would never let him live such a moment down. Everyone would soon know of how Li Zongxían had disgraced his family and there would be whispers about him for the rest of his life. All of these suppositions and questions raced through his mind like the rushing current of the great Yangtze River he often looked out upon from his bedroom window.

Whenever those irrational fears passed through his mind, the rational part of him would seize those terrifying ideas and squash them quickly. Li Zongxían's mind would then circle back to the important question: which school? If he was certain that White Crane was not for him, then which of the other two schools could he belong to? Lotus Blossom, situated somewhere to the east of his home along the Yangtze river, was the school where the finest healers, cooks and charm makers were made. It was said to be the school for the more tender hearted people. Li Huang often teased him about how he was suited for the "yin school" and how much of an embarrassment it would be to have a brother so in tune with the feminine.

It was true that his father would look down on his being sorted into Lotus Blossom, but that was not nearly as bad as being sorted into Black Dragon. Black Dragon was the secretive school situated far away in the north that trained the warriors of the realm. They were fierce competitors with White Crane and known for their harsh disciplines and minimalist way of life. Some of the greatest heroes and villains throughout the centuries had come from Black Dragon. His grandfather always spat whenever he mentioned the school, venomous in his opinion that it was the school of the "barbarians".

It was these thoughts that haunted every step Li Zongxían took through his father's peaceful garden, following him like living shadows. It was often in this time in the dream, when the conundrum of which school had reached the apex of its frustrating nature, that Li Zongxían had arrived to the clearing at the center of his father's garden. As always, he came upon the master, a wizened old man, looking out over the serene Koi pond with his back facing the thirteen-year-old. Li Zongxían would try to speak to the man, but the master never turned his gaze away from the still waters. Cherry blossom trees ringed the pond, their branches charmed to always be in full bloom and their soft, pink petals disappearing whenever they fell from the branches. Shrines of ancient ancestors circled the shores, each representing the proud lineage of the Li family.

Once a month it was customary to come into the garden and pay homage to the family ancestors, asking for guidance and wisdom for the future. In the dream, the shrines of his ancestors were decorated in burning candles and platters of fruit, the pond had expanded to twice its real size and the trees were rich with fruit and flowers. Despite the beauty of the place, Li Zongxían's mind could take no solace in his family's sanctuary.

Stopping just shy of the master, Li Zongxían would wait and watch the old man, searching for any sign of what to do next. And in every dream, the master would point to the pond, which had now transformed into a lake. The shrines were scattered to the far distant shores, their candlelight twinkling out at him like diamonds. Out of the lake three statues rose up: a closed lotus blossom flower, a white crane on one leg with his head tucked under a wing and rippling black dragon, whose large head was the only thing to breach the surface of the lake.

Li Zongxían would get closer to the lake, the master now behind him though he had still never seen his face. As he approached the lapping edge of the water, the statues became more and more real. The lotus blossom petals turned from stone gray to pink and sat on top of the water on a green leaf pad. The white crane's feathers rippled in the breeze, but it was the black dragon that caught his eye, even if he tried to ignore it. The scales on its face glistened from the water and it's red eyes were unmoving and fixed on him.

And Li Zongxían would wait. In the dreams the times always varied, but his actions did not. He would stare at the statues looking for any sign or change in them. He would raise his wand and point at each one in turn, hoping for some movement at all. But the lotus blossom remained shut, the white crane fast asleep and the head of the black dragon held just above the surface of the water, it's red eyes watching him.

Li Zongxían would turn back to the master for guidance on what to do next only to find that he was gone. It was in this moment of realizing how utterly alone he was in the garden that he would catch a glimpse of movement out the corner of his eye. Li Zongxían's heart would jump to his throat as he turned to see what it was that moved. And that would be the precise moment he would wake up.

This morning, the morning of the Sorting, was no different, though he had been closer to seeing what had moved. Was it the crane, the lotus blossom or the black dragon? He would never know now and that made him somewhat surly in his waking.

Rubbing the grime from his eyes, Li Zongxían slowly sat up in his bed and groggily watched as Ming the house-elf flitted about his room, preparing everything for him. The older house-elf had already laid out his finest clothes and shoes on the chair next to his bed. She was now in the process of tidying up his somewhat messy room. His father wouldn't approve of this. He would say that a clean room was a sign of a well organized mind. A son who would be sorted into White Crane would keep his room well in order without the help of a house-elf.

As Ming began to dust and straighten his looming stacks of books that he had pulled off his shelf, Li Zongxían stood up and walked over to his chair.

"Ming, that is enough. Wait outside while I put on the undergarment," Li Zongxían ordered firmly. His father had also stated that he needed to be gentle yet firm when ordering around a house-elf and that was what he was going to do. Today he was going to remember every lesson his father had ever taught. Today he was going to be sorted into White Crane even if he didn't truly believe he would belong there. His father would be proud and he would not be the one to break their family's long tradition at White Crane.

Li Zongxían waited until his door hushed to a close before he began the process of dressing. After pulling his long, black hair aside and getting out of his sleep robe, Li Zongxían began dressing himself by pulling over his head a long, white undergarment whose collar crossed shut at his neck. After he was sure that the collar was snug against his throat and the undergarment as straight as it could be, Li Zongxían called out for the house-elf again.

Ming quickly came through the door and helped him put on the rest of the ceremonial dress worn for examinations. Over the undergarment, Ming and Li Zongxían pulled on a large, white silk robe with wide, long sleeves trimmed in black. The robe fell to the floor and had a round collar at his neck. As he pushed his arms through the sleeves, Ming pulled over a stool, stepped up on it and began the process of brushing out his long, black hair.

It was tradition to never cut ones hair. His grandfather had once told him that his silky black locks were the direct reflection of his ancestors. It was in their honor that shears had never touched them. Ming's deft hands quickly finished brushing and began to wind his hair into a tight bun. Soon his hair was ready and all he needed was the black, ceremonial hat. She jumped down to grab the hat as Li Zongxían wrapped a black silk belt around the voluminous robes and cinched it shut behind his back. This was it. This was what he would be wearing when he found out the truth about himself that would change the rest of his life.

His hands began to shake as he attempted to button the rounded collar of the outer robe and he let them fall to his side. His nerves were getting the better of him. Ming was on the stool with the hat, fitting it on his head. She didn't seem to notice his distress of which he was grateful. The old house-elf as like a second mother to him especially since his own mother had passed on when he was very young. Ming would see his anxiety and make him more anxious by the subsequent fluttering about to make him better. It was the precise thing he did not need.

Li Zongxían was better than this. He thought about all the heroes that he had read about in the books he had read. And he thought of his brothers. Li Huang and his oldest brother, Li Jianjun, had never been this nervous about their Sorting. Li Huang, he remembered, had displayed confidence and certainty that bordered on arrogance when he had gone in for his Sorting. He had said that there had never been any doubt which school he would get. Li Jianjun, his favorite brother, had been just like his father, stalwart and silent when he had gone in for his Sorting. He also had had a sort of confidence as well, but unlike Li Huang and their father, there had been a humility in his demeanor. Li Zongxían steadied himself, fixing his face into a mask of calm as he had seen his eldest brother do. He would be unbreakable.

Li Zongxían quickly buttoned up his collar as Ming finished making last minute adjustments to his hat. After quickly donning on a pair of his best black shoes, Li Zongxían was finally ready. Ming stood back and gasped and Li Zongxían noticed that tears welled up in her eyes. Ming had no elf children of her own and had taken it as her personal responsibility to look after her master's children after Lady Li had died. Li Zongxían, being the youngest child, couldn't remember a day where Ming was not apart of his life. He would always be her master and she his house-elf, but she would always have a small corner of his heart.

"Thank you, Ming," he calmly replied as he adjusted his sleeves and began his slow walk to the door. "I will find my way to the garden on my own. Please see if my father or grandfather need anything."

Li Zongxían could see the disappointment in his house-elf's eyes. He knew that she had wanted to walk by his side and it would have been a comfort to him if she had, but today he needed to face what was in front of him alone. With a nod of her head, she disappeared with a loud crack and Li Zongxían was alone in his room. Taking a deep breath, he slowly opened his door and entered the corridor outside his room.

The corridor was made up of the finest red wood available. Engraved wooden plaques of five clawed dragons, cranes and ancient family sayings broke up the dreariness of the wall on either side of his doorway. Here and there globes of crystal hung suspended by magic in the air next to the wall, interspersed at equal lengths between the plaques. At night the opaque globes would glow, casting off the night's shadows. His room and door faced a wall that had evenly spaced glass windows in it, which looked out towards the courtyard beyond it. Fine silk hangings covered the windows, each embroidered with lovely views of the Yangtze river.

Li Zongxían began his long walk towards the southern end of the house, where his father, grandfather and everyone of importance would be. It was also where the gate to his father's large garden was at, facing the front of the house. He was relieved that no one shared the corridor with him and his feet were no louder than the sound of whispering silk. For a moment he would have some peace.

His father's house was a sprawling complex of buildings that was nicely situated on a series of low hills over looking a fertile valley where the Yangtze river snaked its serpentine route through. His father was among some of the wealthiest wizards in China and his house was a reflection of that. Several stories high, with several sloping roofs, the grand entrance to the manse was beautiful as it was dominating. The front building was large and ornate, it's interior elegantly, yet respectfully decorated. Ming and the other house-elves along with the small group of bond-servants lived in the front building. Two long wings stretched back from the front building, making up the side walls of the courtyard and garden that sat in the center of the sprawling complex. The wings were where the younger generations, guests and dining area were.

But it was the back building that held the most importance and prestige of the house. With doors facing the front, this was where his father, grandfather and honored guests took up residence. The entrance to the garden and more private part of the courtyard lay in the back building. The entrance to the courtyard where common goods, horses and supplies were stored was in the front building.

The complete rectangle which made up his father's immense manse, which was miles long. Li Zongxían, whose room was in one of the side wings of the complex, made his way south to the large building in the back where his family and the master waited for him.

As he neared the back building, the decorations grew more ornate. Hand painted vases with red roses and stems of lavender in them stood on tall, mahogany tables. Some of the windows were wide open, allowing the humid summer air and the rich scent of the mango and orange trees slowly seep into the hall. Silk tapestries of intricately woven threads covered the walls between the windows, the scenes depicted on them both lovely and poignant. The song of birds floated through the window and Li Zongxían felt a genuine smile began to form on his lips.

His anxiety over the Sorting was slowly diminishing. He remembered his grandfather's saying that destiny was like a fast moving river; it was relentless in its course. It was how a man handled his destiny that showed his true worth and character. Li Zongxían would face whatever outcome of his Sorting with dignity and poise. He may yet get White Crane, but if it were not to be so, then he would accept his fate.

As he neared the bend that would bring him to the large back building, his ears caught fragments of whispers. The whispers were coming from two women, that much he could ascertain, but as to who they were he was uncertain. When his mother had died some years back, the great manse had been bereft of a lady of the house. Except for the occasional female bond-servants and house-elves, there was very little female presence in the house. He was curious to know who spoke, but knew it was not his business to listen to another's conversation and did his best to block it out.

But as he was about to round the corner, he heard two words that almost made his heart stop in his chest. They were two words that had caused an unending amount of fear and turmoil in the magical world, two words that had become the villains of children's bedtime stories. Li Zongxían hoped he had heard wrong, but deep down he was certain he had heard the words "Red Dragon".

Traditionally, the dragon was a sign of luck and fortune, but the "Red Dragon" was no mythical creature, but a man. Some say it could even be several men at a time. The Red Dragon could change his face as the title was passed from one man to another, but the idea behind the name did not change and that was what was so frightening. An idea, as Li Jianjun had once told him, was hard to kill. It could turn a group of peaceful people into a blood thirsty mob and tear down emperors.

Two years ago, rumors of a new Red Dragon had started flying from the north. He was a fierce warrior, trained at the Black Dragon school in the most deadly of arts. Those rumors started to become a reality as reports began to flood into the Imperium of Magic, where his eldest brother worked, of magical villages coming under attack. It was rumored that the Faceless Ones, the Red Dragon's most deadly warriors, had been remade and recruiting. Now the Red Dragon was on every one's tongue.

When Li Zongxían had asked Li Jianjun why the Red Dragon was making war on the Imperium, he stated simply that power and the need to gain more of it could corrupt even the most noble of warriors. Li Huang told him a slightly different rumor that he had heard from the merchants he had met in the Eternal City, the home of the Imperium and the White Crane school.

"My sweet little brother, the Red Dragon wants to break the ties our Imperium has with the Muggle Emperor and forge a stronger, all wizarding super power to control all. He also likes to send some of his Faceless Ones to silence little children who ask too many questions."

Li Zongxían didn't believe in the last part, but he had heard the first part from others, mostly from the bond-servants. One of them had claimed to have escaped from the north and said something very similar. Li Zongxían had no idea why the Red Dragon was questioning that practice now. The Imperium of Magic had always had close ties to the Muggle Emperors throughout the centuries and both sides had benefited from the knowledge gained from it. So long as an Emperor ruled, there was a witch or wizard there to give them advice.

Now as Li Zongxían rounded the corner to see who it was that had mentioned the Red Dragon, he couldn't help but feel as if the universe was trying to tell him something. The anxiety he had worked all morning to crush was starting to well up in him again.

Li Zongxían was surprised to find that the two whisperers were two noble women connected with his family, Widow Cheng and Lady Wen. Widow Cheng had been his late uncle's (on his mother's side) wife and Lady Wen had once been a close confidant to his mother. He had no doubt as to why they were there. They were there for his Sorting ceremony as was the rest of the family. Li Jianjun had just come home from the Imperium just the night before. He would have wished to not have had his family make such a fuss over his ceremony and the fact that they did made him more nervous.

But he showed none of it as he bowed deeply to the two women, who had ceased talking when he had come around the corner. As he lifted, he was curious to know how much they really knew about the Red Dragon and how much were tales that they had spun out of rumors. Neither party spoke of that topic though as Lady Wen gave him a wide smile.

"Li Zongxían, it has been so long since I've last seen you," she exclaimed. "I remember when you had just taken your first steps and now you are to be sorted. What a proud moment this must be for your father. To have three sons sorted into White Crane is quite an accomplishment!"

Li Zongxían blanched when she said this and all of his uncertainty and doubt came hurtling back to him. He clumsily searched for words to respond to her with when Widow Cheng spoke first.

"Now, Now, Lady Wen. The boy hasn't been sorted yet. We shall see where fate decides to put him."

Lady Wen chuckled as she answered, "Surely he does not have the softness of a Lotus Blossom and he is much too smart for Black Dragon. No, White Crane will fit him nicely, I think. Everyone one knows that every member of the Li family has been sorted into White Crane. It has been like that for generations."

Heat began to rise in Li Zongxían's face as his embarrassment grew. A part of him was made hopeful by her words. Maybe she was right. He wasn't soft enough to be in Lotus Blossom and he was surely much too well read to be in Black Dragon. Everyone knew that those who were sorted in Black Dragon only used one aspect of their body: their muscles. Yet he still stood flustered in front of them, unsure of what to say. His brothers, as well as any true member of White Crane, would have had a ready, clever answer, but he found his tongue had seemed to turn to stone in his mouth.

Widow Cheng, sensing his distress, quickly responded, "Why Lady Wen, we have quite forgot ourselves. It is almost time for the ceremony and the young master Li must be on his way. The master must surely be at the garden already. Come, Li Zongxían. Lead the way to the garden. For it is your Sorting ceremony and we would not want you to be late!"

Li Zongxían was grateful to Widow Cheng for the escape. With a nod of his head, he took the lead in front of the two women and walked with them the final stretch of the walk. The two women began to whisper again as soon as they began walking, but Li Zongxían heard no mention of any sort of dragon and that put some of his mind at ease, though not much. His stomach seemed to have a angry cat inside it and his nerves were like sparkling firecrackers throughout his body. The calm he had strove to gain this morning had completely vanished. All he could do now was hide his inner turmoil under a carefully constructed mask.

They had soon reached the archway that led to the back building and the floor had opened up into a wide hall. Glass orbs bobbed silently in the air above their heads, festively light. Tiny fairies flitted from one orb to another. His father hardly ever let the fairies from their cages, except for special occasions. This did not help his nerves one bit.

Nor did seeing his family who were all sitting on fine, plush chairs around an elegant glass table filled with a variety of fruits and warm tarts. In the center of the half-ring that surrounded the table was his aging grandfather. The old man was dressed in his most splendid of dark purple robes whose wide sleeves and long shape seemed to overwhelm his tiny body. To his right was his eldest brother, Li Jianjun, who had forsook his normal plain work robes for more festive maroon robes. He gave Li Zongxían a warm, easy smile and that helped calm some of his nerves.

Li Zongxían ushered the two noble women to their seats at opposite ends of the semi-circle and as he did so, he caught the eye of Li Huang. Sitting to their grandfather's left, Li Huang was dressed in a dark green robe whose sleeves were wider and longer than normal. The sleeves were trimmed in black with golden cranes stitched into them. He gave Li Zongxían a sneer and quickly mimicked the opening of a Lotus Blossom.

Li Zongxían ignored his brother as his eyes caught sight of his father, who stood instead of sat near the door of the garden. His father had always looked regal and formidable, and this was magnified by the deep blue robes that he wore and the stony look on his face. Li Zongxían had never been too sure of what it was his father was thinking and more so today.

The master, who stood by his father's side, was a shorter, older man, but he had lively black eyes and a wide smile. He was not nearly as fearsome as the masters in his dreams. This gave him some encouragement. The masters were wise wizards sent by the Imperium to administer the Sorting test. They came from all walks of life and had, at one time, belonged to one of three schools, though no one ever really knew which school a master was from.

Dutifully Li Zongxían walked over to his father and the master and gave them a low, deep bow as he had seen his brother's do. When he lifted, the master's smile had widened, but his father still remained stony faced. At least he did not show disappointment in his eyes. Instead of a smile or any encouraging words, which he had not given to any of his sons on their Sorting, his father gave him a curt nod of his head and opened the door to the garden.

The master walked past his father with a surprising lightness of foot for his age and Li Zongxían followed behind. After he had walked through the door to the garden, the door shut behind him and he was alone with the master in the garden. The master continued on forward, following the white stone path that threaded through the heart of the garden as if he had been here before. Maybe he had. Li Zongxían followed.

They walked for awhile until they came upon the same Koi pond he had seen in his dreams, except it was different as he knew it would be. The pond sat in a shallow dip in the land and, on a terrace above it, sat a round gazebo overlooking the pond. This was his grandfather's favorite place to come and meditate. Great, rounded wooden pillars held up the massive, pointed roof. Gray stones made up the floor, smooth from generations of people having walked over them. A small, stone cut staircase led down to the pond, with a small boat tethered to the side.

The master led him to the gazebo and Li Zongxían half expected to see stone statues start to rise out of the water of the pond. Instead, the master had him kneel in the center of the gazebo and hold out his hands. Li Zongxían did as he was instructed and watched as the old man pulled out a large, white egg from wide folds of his sleeves.

"You are about to be born into a new life, young master Li. This egg and what is inside this egg will determine which way your life shall go. You are at a crossroads and there are three roads set in front of you: one for the wise man, one for the healer and one for the warrior. Hold this egg in your hand and we shall soon know which road you shall take."

The master placed the large egg in his hands. It was surprisingly light and cool to the touch, but soon Li Zongxían felt a strange feeling passing through him. Odd memories of his childhood began to flit across his mind. Memories of his father and his stern face, of Ming's sad eyes when he had told her to leave. He thought of his brothers, of how Li Jianjun's eyes were often weary and worried whenever he came from the Eternal City and the Imperium. He thought of Li Huang and his golden cranes on his sleeves. He thought of his mother before she died and how she used to sing him to sleep. He thought of the Red Dragon and imagined empty husk of villages. He thought of the great warriors of his stories and how even death seemed to flee from them.

Before long the egg in his hand began to glow and warm and the master stood closer to him, his hands outstretched over his head.

"Why do you want to be in White Crane?" the master asked.

Li Zongxían was surprised by the question and knew he should have had a ready answer on the tip of his tongue, but found he didn't. He had a feeling the master would know if he lied and it was unbecoming to lie in an examination of the heart and mind. Instead, he settled with the truth.

"Because it is apart of the Li family tradition."

Li Zongxían felt the egg warm even more until it was almost unbearable to hold.

"Honest and loyal. Those are important traits to have. What do you fear most?"

"Failure." That answer came quicker to the boy than he had thought possible and he saw the egg crack from it. His breath caught in his chest.

"And why do you fear failure over all else?" the master asked.

Li Zongxían thought on that for awhile, until he answered, "Because I do not want to let other's down."

"Even in the face of death, would this still be your answer?"

"Yes."

To his surprise, the answer came more smoothly than he would have imagined. The cracks widened and the egg warmed even more in his hands. He watched as the egg slowly unfolded to reveal what was inside. He had not even seen the master step away from him. All he saw was what was inside the egg.

The remnants of the egg shell disappeared and all that was left was the occupant that had once been inside it, sitting in the palms of the boy's hands. Utter disbelief washed over him and he looked up at the master to be sure his eyes were not mistaken. The master seemed to know the question that stood on the tip of his tongue and laid a frail, old hand on his shoulder.

"The sorting is correct, young master Li. You have the skills and resources inside you to excel at that school. It is an honorable path you are on. Remember that."

The old man then dropped his hand and turned towards the door of the garden. Li Zongxían stood and followed behind. This was his sorting. This was the way it was meant to be.

Li Zongxían came out of the garden, the occupant of the egg hidden by his hands. His father stood from his chair he had taken next to the door, his back rigid and his hands hidden underneath his wide, long sleeves. Everyone looked up at him, his eldest brother giving him a warm smile and his second eldest brother a smirk. His grandfather gave him a toothless smile that would have warmed his heart if he wasn't thinking about the reaction both his grandfather and father would have when he opened his hands. Widow Cheng and Lady Wen's bantering conversation fell to a hush as all eyes latched onto his cupped hands. The master walked over to Li Zongxían's father, gave him a deep bow, which his father returned and then took his place at the side of the rest of the family.

There was no turning back now. Li Zongxían slowly opened his hands and a sudden collective gasp sounded in the room.

Sitting in the middle of his palm was a black dragon.


End file.
